GRRRRR... Ofsted

Thanks SS.... I have requested a SSAT maths advisor to visit, but a chat with local HoDs is a good idea. the amount of relatively pointless work is frightening. I just hope that my two young children get to see me over the next few years!

This is just total nonsense. Sounds like, to me, the ofsted person is trying to make out how important they are and give you a false impression of the state sector. I don't do all of that, never have done. However, I do monitor performance - but that's different from knowing the progress of each xyz student and looking fortnightly for changes.
Besides which, in improving performance at KS5, for example, you need to be thinking more strategically - not at minutiae. Look at your schemes of work, teaching arrangements. Look for the areas of weakness in modules, and think through how you are going to tackle those.
Measuring students ain't gonna make them achieve more...

I've never had an OFSTED inspector expect that knowledge of me. I monitor the progress of students and have access to roughly fortnightly updates on KS4 student attainment and effort. I use this to identify students for intervention or discussions with colleagues.

I used to let my colleagues get on with their job and trust them to do it. I have never been let down yet.

Tomorrow is observation of me and the Head of English by this Ofsted bloke, the deputy head and the ass head academic. I believe it is so that he can make sure that their observations are accurate. I am teaching Y11 for the lesson, who are of course just revising..... not much chance of demonstrating progress there. In the afternoon he wishes to enlighten us as to how we should be monitoring our departments. Cannot wait.

BUT today I find out, for example that I should personally know the progress of each and every Y11 C/D borderliner and A/A* borderliner

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Just the borerliners - hes letting you off light.
I was expect to do FSM, G&T, etnicity, gender, ABCD and have a broom up my $$$$ so I could sweep up at the same time.
Thats we I am now a main scale teacher enjoying teaching again. (Well its one of the reasons !)

Oh I forgot to mention this was for all years not just 11 1nd sixth form and even this was not good enough - "Did I know which learning objectives each and every child in the school could and couldnt do using some kind of bemoth that even edexcel would struggle with?" - NO? "Why not?"

Oh yes and ofcourse did i then have specific targets and intervention for every student who was making anything les than outsatnding progress - If not why not?
And did it matter if they had an incapable teacher who the head refused to deal with - no ofcourse not - still my problem

You don't make a pig any fatter by weighing it!
I'm not HoD but I know that ours has suffered similar information requests from our School Improvement Partner. He seems to be satisfied by HoD being able to access the information quickly and it being updated half-termly rather than fortnightly.

Maths Mike has got me worried that I may be suffering from schizophrenia. It sound exactly like my school and me. Have I been posting as an alter ego for years? Am I trying to tell myself to go back to being an ordinary teacher? Honestly, it's really creepy reading it!!!
By the way, Mike, it's good to have you back and pleased that you are so much more content.

I am already thinking that mainscale teaching is the way to go, at least when the mrs returns to work after maternity leave I may be able to afford to.

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Or an AST?
Anyhow, this Ofsted guff will change sooner or later when they realise weighing fat people every 10 minutes is not as effective as putting them on the treadmill.
I see very little satisfaction in HoD jobs in state schools nowadays. It justs seems more and more you have all the sh*t of being in SLT but with none of the benefits.

I see very little satisfaction in HoD jobs in state schools nowadays. It justs seems more and more you have all the sh*t of being in SLT but with none of the benefits.

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On the other hand, I'm HoD and really enjoy it - and I've done pastoral management and SLT stuff. Being HoD is still the best job I've done. But, I wouldn't want a job in a school which had the "O"men sniffing around morning, noon and night. Which is the best incentive for staying the right side of 'good'...